This invention is directed to tubular furniture construction, and more specifically, to a ceramic fitting or connector which joins two spaced, confronting, axially aligned, tubular members, and when assembled, appears to envelop both ends of the confronting tubular members.
The furniture industry has, in recent years, developed several distinct furniture categories. One of such furniture categories is a line of occasional pieces, including shelf units, vanities, seats, tables, etageres, and the like, which are formed primarily of tubular metallic pieces and glass. The tubular pieces may be either round or rectangular in cross-section and formed of brass, aluminum, chrome, or various lightweight metallic alloys. Quite a number of distinct patterns and decorative ideas have emerged for use in conjunction with such types of construction.
The present invention is directed toward one of such decorative type innovations. Often in such tubular furniture, there may be unbroken lengths of parallel tubular members in an end or rear wall. The inclusion of some type of decorative or ornamental fitting or coupling in one or more of the tubular members provides an aesthetic break. The problem is how to assemble such an attractive ornamental coupling after the end wall is formed and plated. Such items as finials and husks or sleeves which slide over the tubular members have been proposed.
In the present invention, a rather different type of decorative fitting is provided in the form of a ceramic (preferably porcelain) knob-like member which replaces a section of one or more tubular members. The fitting of the present invention has a diameter greater than the diameter of the aforesaid tubular members, so that the tubular members can extend into and be enveloped by the ceramic fitting. The surface of the ceramic fitting may be decorated by decals or screen printing. However, the novelty of the invention lies in the manner in which the decorative fitting is fabricated and assembled between spaced, confronting, axially aligned, tubular members to envelop the ends of the tubular members and give the appearance of replacing a section of tubing.
Toward this end, a wall or end standard is first formed by joining the tubular members together by some appropriate technique such as welding. One or more tubular members is then left with a gap or space therein which forms two spaced, confronting, axially aligned, ends. The ceramic fitting to be emplaced between the confronting ends of the tubular member(s) is greater in length than the space therebetween, whereby when assembled, the fitting envelops the tubular ends.
To achieve such an effect, a rod extends axially through the ceramic fitting. Preferably, but not necessarily, the rod is threaded and protrudes longitudinally past one of the ends of the fitting for enhanced stability. Wells are formed in each end of the coupling surrounding the threaded rod. One of the wells is of a depth dimension greater than the distance by which the axial length of the ceramic fitting exceeds the distance between the confronting ends of the tubes.
So arranged, one end of the fitting is assembled onto one of the tubular members with the rod first inserted into the tubular member to a point past the normal seated position. The extended position exceeds the normal position by the aforesaid difference between the axial length of the fitting and the distance between the confronting ends of the tubular members. The end of the other tubular member is then placed in position aligned with the opposite end of the fitting. The rod at the other end of the fitting is inserted into the tubular member and moved in the opposite direction to properly seat the fitting in position on both of the tubular members. In order to cushion the seating of the ceramic fitting on the tubular ends, one or both of the wells are provided with rubber-pads in the bottom wall thereof. In the broadest aspect of the present invention, the rod is not necessarily threaded. This will achieve a satisfactory level of satisfaction as long as the tubular member is vertically oriented, because gravity will retain the fitting in the seated position. However, to provide an appearance of higher quality and permit the fitting to be used with horizontal tubular members, the rod should be threaded and fit into a threaded receptacle with the tubular member.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a unique ornamental fitting for tubular furniture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental fitting of the type described which joins two spaced, confronting, axially aligned, tubular members.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental ceramic fitting of the type described in which the distance between the ends of the tubular members is less than the corresponding axial length of the ceramic fitting.